[SH Spoilers]Spanky

[Pagerunner he/him]

I've been rereading Secret History for a serious theory I'm working on, but I had to stop in the middle because... I need to learn more about Spanky. Could he SpanKey, the Kandra spirit? What secret murmurings does he carry to the denizens of the Cognitive Realm? And then, what happened to him after  He was so kind to give Hoid a ride (proving that Ati and Leras aren't the only vessles in Scadrial), but once Hoid leaps off of him to use the Shardpool... where does he go? There's no more mention of the once-great ship, the U.S.S. Spanky. (U.S.S. stands for Useful Sailing Spirit). Where did he go? Did he sail away? Did he set a open course for the virgin sea? Alas, Spanky, we hardly knew ye.

 

Silliness aside, I am surprised no one has discussed this macabre detail. (Or if they have, I just couldn't find it.) Hoid refers to Spanky as a spirit - is he a Cognitive Shadow, like Kelsier? Did he pass from the Cognitive Realm to go Beyond after Hoid was finished with him? Since he stuck around long enough for Hoid to use him as a boat, does that mean he was Invested, a user of some world's magic system, and he stuck around just long enough for Hoid to use as a boat?

 

And then, where did he come from? All we know is that he had white robes, and I speculate that he was a magic user. What magic users had white robes? Not Awakeners, obviously; they need more colors. Not a Radiant, either, since they have armor. (Though the Soulcasters wore robes, right?) Elantrians had robes, and I think they were white, but I'm not confident. The White Sand preview pages show a character in white robes. So, Hoid might have been coming from either Taldain or Sel, and hitched a ride on a heavily Invested individual to reach the Well of Ascension.

 

As to why Hoid needed to use Spanky... the Pits are just as far inland as Luthadel, so doesn't that mean Hoid would always need to use a boat like Spanky? Same with everyone else who used to use the Pits; how did they get there?

[Landis963 he/him]

And then, where did he come from? All we know is that he had white robes, and I speculate that he was a magic user. What magic users had white robes? Not Awakeners, obviously; they need more colors. Not a Radiant, either, since they have armor. (Though the Soulcasters wore robes, right?) Elantrians had robes, and I think they were white, but I'm not confident. The White Sand preview pages show a character in white robes. So, Hoid might have been coming from either Taldain or Sel, and hitched a ride on a heavily Invested individual to reach the Well of Ascension.

 

From the preview page of White Sand that was released with last year's State of the Sanderson, we know that the sand masters of Taldain (or at least their initiates) wore a white costume.  Not a robe, per se, but still worthy of consideration.  

[Jazzy Kandra she/her]

Maybe Spankey is a spren-like being that Hoid either is bonded to or who he is friends with. Basically, Spankey is what Hoid uses to get around in the Cognitive Realm (or find a 'real' boat, but Spankey is more fun), so, Spankey might be a very old creature that has known Hoid for a very long time. The real question is, what does Spankey look like in the Physical Realm and have we seen this form without knowing what it is?

Edited February 27, 2016 by Kandra-in-disguise

[Ari he/him]

Oh, I noticed it, but I wondered if he had merely used the cognitive reflection of a corpse, or temporarily waylaid a dying spirit to hijack them for a boat.

 

I thought it was interestingly out of character with Hoid's comments about not being able to hurt anyone if he was a living being, but then again he notes that Kelsier being already dead made him an exception.

[Stormgate he/him]

I noticed that Hoid gave Spanky a glowing substance of sorts, and rubbed it on his oar as well, allowing it to work. The people of the Ire also drank a glowing substance, presumably to remain in the Cognitive Realm without difficulty. I submit that Spanky, after Hoid left, ran out of Investijuice and faded into the Beyond.

[Fallen Rope he/him]

I think the ire drank the investure to power their immortality, since they don't have the dor to power it where they are.

[The Invested Beard]

I noticed that Hoid gave Spanky a glowing substance of sorts, and rubbed it on his oar as well, allowing it to work. The people of the Ire also drank a glowing substance, presumably to remain in the Cognitive Realm without difficulty. I submit that Spanky, after Hoid left, ran out of Investijuice and faded into the Beyond.

 

Upvote for investijuice.